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Category: Economics

George Soros is one of the world’s leading philanthropists who stands for those that have been discriminated against by simply being who they are. From Jewish refugee to hedge fund billionaire, Soros is a man who does not deserve the negative attention he’s given. How has a man that has built himself from the ground up and shared his wealth world wide become the target of the political right?

Born in Hungary in 1930, George Soros experienced evil firsthand. The Soros family survived the Nazi occupation of Hungary by falsifying papers and concealing their Jewish identity. Throughout the occupation, they helped others hide from tyranny as well. The Open Society Foundation reports that George Soros later said “instead of submitting to our fate, we resisted an evil force that was much stronger than we were—yet we prevailed. Not only did we survive, but we managed to help others.”

When he was just 17, George Soros left his home country so that he could attend the London School of Economics. He funded his own collegiate dreams by working two jobs. Soros is the definition of the self-made man. In 1956, he moved to the United States and after opening his hedge fund, Soros Fund Management in 1970, the man went on to become a billionaire. George Soros became the definition of the American Dream, considered to be one of the most successful investors to date. Never forgetting his roots, Soros has been using his wealth to help those in need since the very being of his fortune. He founded the Open Society Foundations in order to help marginalized groups such as LGBTQIA+, sex workers, and the Romani people of Europe. Even today, the billionaire still gives to groups fighting for their rights, even as recent as the women’s march on Washington and George Soros’s lacrosse camp.

George Soros is a man who lifted himself up by the boot straps, which should make him a conservative hero. So, how is it that this refugee philanthropist has become the target of the right wing? Business Insider reported that Michael Vachon, a spokesperson for the Soros Fund Management, said, “George Soros first found himself in the crosshairs of the conservative propaganda machine when he publicly expressed opposition to the march to war in Iraq.” This has not deterred him. Soros donates to causes commonly associated with the progressive left. Professor Timothy Melley put it best when he wrote “It’s a projection of right-wing billionaire behavior onto a prominent left-wing billionaire.” The press is consistently reporting on billionaires such as the Koch brothers, who use their wealth to their own benefit instead of in the interest of others.

There are plenty of conservatives who demonize a man simply because of his drive to help others. Right wingers such as Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly cannot imagine someone in a position of wealth and power doing something for the benefit of others, so they create conspiracies and dangerous theories to vilify him. There is no stopping a man like George Soros, though, who has been around long enough to know how to take the highroad so he can continue to help people the world over and more information click here.